EP1522430B1 - Method and device to increase the pressure of gases - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for pressure increase of gases, in particular for the level control of motor vehicles, according to the preamble of claims 1 and 7.

In many fields of technology gases with increased pressure, in particular compressed air, are required. Examples from the automotive sector are u. a. the pressure supply of the tires (1-5 bar), the brake system in vehicles with compressed air brake (about 10 bar) and the compressed air supply of air bellows (about 10-20 bar).

Compressors of different types are known for compressing the gases or compressed air. So z. As piston compressors, screw compressors and turbines used. All of these designs have their specific advantages and disadvantages.

In order to achieve particularly high pressures of more than 10 bar, for example of 20 bar or 30 bar, it is technically usually not useful to realize this pressure increase with a single compressor. Such a compressor would have to be executed particularly stable, be particularly well sealed, have a very small dead volume, and be driven with a particularly strong drive. This would lead to an unacceptable cost increase of such a compressor.

Further, for physical reasons, with each pressure increase of a gas, a considerable amount of heat is generated, which leads to an undesirable increase in the temperature of the compressed gas and the compressor. The gas and the compressor must therefore be cooled. The mentioned temperature increase occurs particularly strong in a single-stage pressure increase. For this reason, it is common to produce compressed air of particularly high pressure by a multi-stage compression.

Such a multi-stage compression can z. B. are produced by a compressor with multiple pistons sitting on a common piston shaft and are driven by a common drive. An example of this is the DE-C1 199 61 646. Here, a low-vibration, two-stage plunger compressor is described in the running in several cylinders piston driven by a crankshaft and wherein two or more low-pressure stages and at least one high-pressure stage are formed. In such compressors, the compressed air initially passes through the low pressure stages and is forwarded by these directly to the high pressure stages. In this way, the desired pressure increase can be achieved.

It is necessary to already mentioned above cooling the compressed air or the compressor, which is realized here by cooling fins. Nevertheless, such compressors are generally not suitable for continuous operation, but need breaks for cooling.

From DE-A1 100 03 869 a method for compressing fluid fluids is further known, at least two separate compressor units are provided, which are each driven by its own drive unit. By a special control can be achieved here a good efficiency. The medium to be compressed first passes through the first compressor unit, then an intercooler for cooling the medium and then a second compressor unit. By the known arrangement, a continuous promotion of the compressed medium can be achieved.

From EP 0285 099 A1 a compressed air system for supplying an air spring system of a vehicle is also known. In these, the individual air springs are connected directly to a low-pressure accumulator for venting or lowering the level. The compressed air in the low-pressure accumulator is compressed by a compressor in a high-pressure accumulator. If the level of the vehicle is to be raised, the air compressed in the high-pressure accumulator can be fed via valves to the air-suspension bellows. The known closed system results in an overall energy saving compared to an open system. This is particularly due to the fact that the compressor does not have to promote against atmospheric pressure, but from a low-pressure accumulator into a high-pressure accumulator.

From US-PS 5,004,265 a vehicle level control is also known, which has a pump with variable capacity. The pump delivers from atmospheric pressure to an accumulator. If the level is to be raised, the pressure accumulator is forwarded to pressure elements. To lower the pressure from the pressure elements is returned to an oil sump.

A disadvantage of the known compressors or methods for multi-stage compression that several compressor units or a multi-stage compressor and their drives are needed. Furthermore, means for cooling the compressed medium are needed. This leads to an increase in the price of the system.

The invention has for its object to provide a method and an arrangement for compressing a pressure medium, in particular compressed air, which manages with only a single compressor and still able is to compress the compressed air in higher areas, for example, 20-30 bar.

This object is solved by the invention contained in claims 1 and 7. The dependent claims contain expedient developments.

By applying the invention, it is possible to achieve a pressure increase up to a range of 20-30 bar with only a single, largely commercially available compressor. Furthermore, special cooling devices for intermediate cooling of the compressed air are not required.

Although the compression according to the invention in several phases or stages separated in time may take a longer time until the desired final pressure is reached. However, this is not a significant disadvantage in many applications, especially in compressed air supplies of level control systems in motor vehicles. In addition, results from the multi-stage pressure increase, each with only slight pressure gradation and only a slight increase in temperature of the pressure medium in the individual stages.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing.

Fig. 1

das Grundprinzip des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens, in

Fig. 2

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel mit zwei Speichern (offenes System) für eine Niveauregulierungsanlage eines Kraftfahrzeuges, in

Fig. 3

ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel mit drei Speichern (offenes System) für eine Niveauregulierungsanlage eines Kraftfahrzeuges, und in

Fig. 4

ein drittes Ausführungsbeispiel mit zwei Speichern (geschlossenes System) für eine Niveauregulierungsanlage eines Kraftfahrzeuges

dargestellt.In this are schematic in

Fig. 1

the basic principle of the process according to the invention, in

Fig. 2

a first embodiment with two memories (open system) for a level control system of a motor vehicle, in

Fig. 3

a second embodiment with three memories (open system) for a level control system of a motor vehicle, and in

Fig. 4

a third embodiment with two memories (closed system) for a level control system of a motor vehicle

shown.

Fig. 1 serves to explain the basic principle of the method according to the invention. In a first phase 1, the medium to be compressed, for example compressed air, is sucked by means of a compressor (1) via a check valve (2) and compressed into a first store (A). After a predetermined period of the compressor (1) or after reaching a predetermined pressure in the memory (A) valves not shown in Fig. 1 are switched, so that the arrangement according to the phase 2 results. In this second phase, the already pre-compressed air from the memory (A) to the input of the compressor (1) is returned and compressed in a second memory (B). This second phase will be finished again After a certain period of the compressor (1) or after reaching a predetermined pressure in the memory (B).

As can be seen, in both phases 1 and 2, the delivery pressure of the compressor (1) and the differential pressure between the input and output of the compressor (1) is approximately equal. This has the advantage that the (not shown) drive of the compressor (1) is approximately equally stressed in both phases and thus does not have to be designed for particularly high loads. The same applies to the mechanical parts of the compressor (1).

Another advantage over the prior art is that, as already mentioned, a special intercooler for the pre-compressed air can be omitted. This intercooling is done by the first memory (A).

According to a variant of the invention may be compressed in a third phase, the compressed air by the same compressor (1) by a corresponding changeover of valves from the second memory (B) in a third memory (not shown in Fig. 1).

In principle, any number of memories or phases can be switched in chronological succession. As a result, it is possible to achieve high ultimate pressures with only one commercial compressor, which at most has to have a reinforced seal of the piston.

According to a further variant of the invention, it is expedient in the first phase to compress the pressure medium to be compressed simultaneously into both or all the stores (A, B). In the second phase, the precompressed pressure medium is then conveyed from the reservoir (A) into the reservoir (B) already filled with the same pressure and further compressed there.

This variant has the advantage that the pressure medium in the second memory (B) is available earlier.

It is expedient that the memory (A, B) have different volumes and compressive strengths. Thus, in Fig. 1, the memory (A) may have a larger volume than the memory (B), but the memory (B) has a higher pressure resistance than the memory (A). By this differentiation of the individual memory can be reduced in particular the space required for the different memory.

2, an embodiment of the method according to the invention is shown in more detail, which is used here for generating pressure for a level control system in a motor vehicle.

The common compressor (1) is driven by an electric motor (3). This is controlled by an electronic control unit (4) via a relay (5). The compressor (1) sucks the medium to be compressed, in this case air, via an air filter (6) and a check valve (30). Via an air dryer (7) and another check valve (33), the compressed air first passes through an open solenoid valve (8) and a likewise open solenoid valve (9) to a first memory (10). This is designed for a pressure of 15 bar. Once the memory (10) is filled, which may take in practice for a storage volume of 3 liters about 3 minutes, the solenoid valve (8) is switched so that the memory (10) now at the input of the compressor (1). This completes the first pressure increase phase.

In the second phase of the compressor (1) promotes the already pre-compressed pressure medium from the first memory (10) via the open solenoid valve (9), the switched solenoid valve (8), the air dryer (7), the check valve (33), and opened solenoid valve (12) in a second memory (13). This is designed for a final pressure of 30 bar. This second pressure increase phase, for example, take about 4 minutes with a storage volume of 2 liters of the second memory (13).

Once the second memory (13) is filled, this can be used to supply a level control system (18 to 29) of a motor vehicle. The output pressures of the reservoirs (10, 13) can be successively monitored by a pressure sensor (14).

The in the memory (13) available pressure of about 30 bar can, if necessary, solenoid valves (18 to 21) associated air springs (22 to 25) of the Motor vehicle are supplied. The air springs or rubber bellows are assigned to the wheels of the vehicle. Due to the ventilation or venting of the rubber bellows, the level or the ground clearance of the vehicle can be increased or reduced in a known manner. The respective height of the air springs (22 to 25) is monitored by displacement sensors (26 to 29) and returned to the electronics (4). All electrical connections of the solenoid valves (18 to 21) and the displacement sensors (26 to 29) are connected via (not numbered) connectors to the electronics (4).

If the vehicle level is to be lowered by venting one or more of the air springs (22 to 25), the normally on hold solenoid valves (18 to 21) are switched to passage, at the same time the solenoid valves (9, 12) of the two memories ( 10, 13) must be switched to blocking. The excess compressed air can then escape via a check valve (34), a throttle (15), the air dryer (7), an open solenoid valve (35) and the air filter (6) into the open (open system). Here, the air dryer (7) is additionally regenerated.

However, the method according to the invention can also be used in closed systems (see FIG. 4).

The for the various phases of the process according to the invention, namely the first pressure increase phase, the second pressure increase phase, the pressure increase in individual bellows, the pressure holding in the bellows, as well as the pressure reduction in individual air spring bellows necessary control of the various solenoid valves is taken over by the electronics (4) based on a registered control program. For monitoring, the already mentioned pressure sensor (14) and the signals of the displacement sensors (26) to (29) are used. In addition, time specifications or time limits for the various processes in the electronics (4) can be stored.

The basic structure of such level controls with control electronics is known to the person skilled in the art and is therefore not explained in any more detail here (see, for example, the WABCO-ECAS electronic level control for passenger and light commercial vehicle brochure, 08/2000). The electronics themselves are realized by means of appropriately programmed microcontroller.

Fig. 3 differs from the Fig. 2 essentially only in that here still a third memory (16) is provided with associated solenoid valve (17). The third memory (16) is designed for a final pressure of 45 bar. In addition, a further solenoid valve (11) is provided, through which the second memory (13) can be placed at the input of the compressor (1). Otherwise, the embodiment of FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIG. 2.

As soon as the second accumulator (13) is filled after the second pressure increase phase, this is supplied via the solenoid valve (11) to the input of the common Compressor (1) placed. This then promotes the content of the memory (13) in a third phase with further compression in the third memory (16), wherein the solenoid valve (17) must be open. After completion of this third phase, the solenoid valve (12) is closed, and the pressure of the third memory (16) is now available at the pressure sensor (14) for supplying the level control system (18 to 29) already described.

As already mentioned, the three memories (10, 13, 16) are expediently of different sizes, the memory (10) being able to have the largest volume and the memory (16) the smallest. For this purpose, the memory (16) must be designed for the highest storage pressure.

By supplying the air springs (22) to (25) from the high pressure accumulator (16) there is the advantage of faster filling. As a result, the control times of the level control are advantageously reduced.

Figures 2 and 3 show open compressed air systems, that is, after the use of the compressed air for lifting or holding the air springs (22 to 25), this is lowered when lowering the air springs into the open air. This is done, as already mentioned, via the check valve (34), the throttle (15), the air dryer (7), the solenoid valve (14) and the air filter (6).

On the other hand, if the method according to the invention is to be used in a closed system, then, as shown in FIG. 4, a further solenoid valve (36) is inserted in the outlet line to the air springs (22 to 25). This is in the (drawn) basic position for venting or holding the air springs (22 to 25) of the electronics (4) switched to passage.

To vent the air springs (22 to 25), the solenoid valve (36) is switched to the upper position. This is the vent port of the valve (36) to the air springs (22 to 25). As a result, the discharged compressed air comes back to the input of the compressor (1). After recompression, the compressed air is returned to the first reservoir (10). For this purpose, of course, the solenoid valve (9) must be opened. Subsequently, the pressure is increased again by compression in the second memory (13) as described above.

The described closed system has the advantage that the residual pressure of the discharged compressed air does not evaporate into the open, but can be reused. As a result, the energy consumption of the system or the electrical drive motor (3) consumed electrical energy is reduced.

An arrangement for carrying out the method according to claim 1 expediently consists of a common compressor (1), two or more stores (A, B, 10, 13, 16), at least one pressure sensor (14), at least two solenoid valves (8,11) for the mutual connection of the memory (A, B, 10,13,16) to the compressor (1), and a correspondingly programmed control electronics (4) for the timing of the drive motor (3) of the compressor (1 ) and solenoid valves (8,9,11,12,35,17,36).

Claims (7)

1. Method for increasing the pressure of a gas, especially for supplying a levelling system in a motor vehicle, characterised in that in a first phase the gas is compressed into a first storage tank (A, 10) by means of a compressor (1), and in a second phase the gas is compressed by the same compressor (1) from the first storage tank (A, 10) into a second storage tank (B, 13).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that in a third phase the gas is compressed by the same compressor (1) into a third storage tank (16).
3. Method according to one or both of claims 1 and 2, characterised in that in the first phase the gas is compressed simultaneously into all the storage tanks (A, B, 10, 13, 16).
4. Method according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the storage tanks (A, B, 10, 13, 16) have different volumes and pressure ratings.
5. Method according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that for an open system the gas released from a consumer unit (air springs (22 to 25)) is released to the ambient air by way of a check valve (34), a throttle (15), an air drier (7), a solenoid valve (35) and an air filter (6).
6. Method according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that for a closed system the gas released from a consumer unit (air springs (22 to 25)) is conveyed back into the first storage tank (A, 10) by means of a further solenoid valve (36).
7. Arrangement for implementing the method according to claim 1, characterised by a common compressor (1), two or more storage tanks (A, B, 10, 13, 16), at least one pressure sensor (14), at least two solenoid valves (8, 11) for the alternate connection of the storage tanks (A, B, 10, 13, 16) to the compressor (1), and suitably programmed control electronics (4) for time control of an electrical motor (3) for the compressor (1) and solenoid valves (8, 9, 11, 12, 17, 35, 36).

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